13th is a 2016 American documentary by director Ava DuVernay. The film explores the "intersection of race, justice and mass incarceration in the United States." It is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which freed the slaves and prohibited slavery (unless as punishment for a crime). 13th has garnered acclaim from film critics, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Oscars.